These days, automobile tires particularly require grip performance and abrasion resistance. Therefore, techniques using modified SBR and specific silica, for example, have been proposed.
Other proposed techniques include techniques that incorporate a large amount of plasticizers such as resins to enhance grip performance; and techniques that incorporate a large amount of fillers such as silica to enhance abrasion resistance. However, silica is difficult to disperse in such compounded systems, and unfortunately the abrasion resistance cannot be enhanced to a desired level.
Moreover, high-speed grip performance and abrasion resistance in various temperature ranges are required during running at high speeds on highways (e.g. the autobahn in Europe). However, no satisfactory technique has been developed, and there is a need for rubber compositions excellent in grip performance and abrasion resistance during high speed running.